Combined abdominal and hernia pad.



1110. 883,357. I .PATENTBD MAR. a1, 1908.

" M. A. & c. A. SNELL.

COMBINED ABDOMINAL AND HERNIA PAD.

APPLIOA TIOI FILED DBO- 28.1904.

i been ruptured or otherwise weak upon the wearer.

UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE.-

MYRTLE A. SNELL AND CHARLES A. sNELL, OF SYRACUSE-NEW YORK.

eomanmn ABDOMINAL Specification of Letters Patent.

AND manure PAD.-

Patented March 31 1908.

Application and December 2a, 1904. smn No. 2sa,e2o.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, MYRTLE A. SNELL and CHARLES A. SNELL, both of Syracuse,'in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new, and useful Imrovements in a Combined Abdominal and Iernia Pad, of which the following, taken n connection with the accompanying drawings, s a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to a combined abdominal and herniapad which is particularly adapted for the retention of pelvic viscera in place when the supporting tissues have ened. Upon examination of the outlines of the pelvic basin it will be observed that the sides of the front lower line or rim which is techmcally known as the Iliopectineal line are quite oblique, that is, they incline laterally and upwardly from the center or pubis, and we have found that in most cases of abdominal hernia the abdominal viscera is cencentrated toward the low center or apex of this line, and therefore recedes from the tissues at the sides-of the basin.

T he main object of our present invention, therefore, is to construct a flexible pad with a low depending center and oblique side edges so as to conform as nearly as practicable with the iliopectineal line of the pelvis and to apply this pad in such manner that the lower center or apex of the pad is drawn rearwardly and upwardly close to the pubis whereby the viscera is at once pressed upwardly and laterally to its normal position. Thls 1s effectually accomplished by mounting the ad loosely on a suitable elastic waistban and then attaching elastic straps to the lower apex of the pad and passing such straps downwardly and rearwardly under and between the thighs and adjustably securing their rear ends to the waist-band.

Other more specific objects and uses'will be brought outinthe following description. I n the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved hernia pad and the means for supporting it in proper position Fi 2 is a transverse sectlonal view taken on ine 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detached pad, 4 is a sectional view taken on line t -4,

The invention comprises essentially a triangular pad waist-bands--2 and 3- and thigh straps -4- the pad .l--- being made substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle with rounding angles or corners and is disposed with one apex at the bottom and central so that the 11 )per edge of the pad is normally horizontal wlnle its sides diverge upwardly from the lower central apex.

The main body of the pad -1 made of comparatively light flexible material, such as moleskin, cloth, or other suitable material which is non-irritating and capable of retaining its form, and is usually provided with light vertical stays ;-5- extending from top to bottom of the pad to prevent vertical folding or wrinkling, and at the same time to afford ample flexibility transversely, the stays being also flexible with just enough stillness to keep the pad in. proper form. These stays are stitched to the front face of the central body of the pad, some distance from the opposite sides so that the upper corners are free and flexible to conform to "the shape of the waist.-

The waist straps or bands ----2-- and 3 W are elastic and are passed loosely through loops -6 which are stitched in a vertical position to the front face of the pad *4 and serve to hold the bands --2-- and -3- one above the other to prevent the 7 vertical displacement of such bands. 'lhcse bands Preferably intersect each other at the rear within a loo 7 which may be stitched to one of the bands and permits the bands to slide one upon the other at the intersection, said bands having their ends meeting in front of the pad where they may be suitably adjusted and held in their adjusted positions by suitable buckles 8- "he thigh straps 4- are also elastic and have their front ends rcmovably attached to the lower point of'apcx of the pad, which is provided with suitable buttons or clasps 10 while the front ends of the straps 4- are formed with button holes --l] which receive the buttons -1()- and enable the wearer to readily attach the straps to or detach them from t 10 lower apex of the pad. These stra )S are passed downwardly and rcarwardly ctwcen and under the thighs and are then passed upwardly and adjustably sc-' ,cured to opposite sides of the bands 2 and buckles 3 rcspcetivel bysuitable '12. it will be observed that these straps 4--'do not intersect each other, but rather diverge from front to rear and are located who'lly at opposite sides of a center line drawn from front to rear of .lhe device,

. ters Patent is- '35 whereby an 0 en space is left both at front and at t e rear between the straps purposes well known.

In operation, the bands 2 and -3 are buckled reasonably tight around the waist of the body-with their ends inserted through the loops 6, thereby pressing the pad firmly against the abdomen after which the lower ends of the stra s -4 are brought forward between the thighs and ati tached to the buttons -10, said straps be- I ing suitably adjusted at the buckles. -l2 to draw downwardly and rearwardly on the lower apex of the pad which operates to press the abdominal organs and viscera u ward and laterally until roperly seated in the walls of the pelvis. Iii is thus seen that the main pressure'is applied very close to the pubis and also the oblique sides of the iliopectineal line, and therefore, nearlyin line with the thigh joints of the legs,-thereby permitting an easy action of the legs without irritation, and also sustaining the pelvic organs of their natural position under a uniforin'fiexible pressure along the front brim of the elvic basin.

T e essential feature, therefore, of our invention is the low down apex of a substantially triangular pad having oblique side edges following as nearly as practicable the front oblique sides of the pelvic basin.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim anddesire to secure by Letfor .1. A device of the class described comprising a pad body, having downwardly converging sides and with upwardly diverging stays arranged in the intermediate portion of the pad, strap receiving loopsnear the upper the I and lower ends of said pad, two body straps passing through said loops and crossed rearwardly of the pad, and a keeper engaging said straps at their crossing point.

2 A device of the class described comprising a pad body having spaced vertical stays, upper and lower strap receiving loops spaced apart near the ends of said pad, a body strap passing at one end through one of said u per loops and at the other end'throughone 0 said lower loops, a body strap passing at one end through the other of said upper loops and at the other end through the other of said lower loops, said straps crossing each other rearvvardly of the pad, and a keeper device engaging said straps at their crossing point.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pad body having spaced vertical stays, upper and lower strap receiving loops spaced apart near the ends of said body, a body strap passing at one end through one of said upper loops and at the one of said lower loops, a body strap passing at oneend through the other of said upper loops and at the other end through the ot er of said lower loops, said straps crossing each other rearwardly of the pad, a keeper device engaging said straps at their crossing point, and thigh straps connected at one end to said pad and at their other ends respectively to said body straps.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 16 day of December 1904.

. MYRTLE A. SNELL.

CHARLES A. SNELL.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. NOTT.

other end through 

